A Pictorial History

FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES

Steve Marsh & Stuart Allen

1968-69 Football Combination

BIRMINGHAM CITY : Football Combination Cup

Upton Park

3 - 1 (Cross 2, [1 pen], Bennett)

10 August 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Lindsay

Hartley

Cross

Bennett

The heavy rain which preceded last week-end's games caused a lot of concern at Upton Park, and had it rained any more on Friday night the opening fixture here could well have been called off. Howeyer, everything turned out satisfactorily in every respect, and although there were one or two "skid-marks" showing at the final whistle the playing-surface came through well. What is more, pur Reserves also opened their Combination Cup schedule with a well-taken 3-1 victory over Birmingham City Res. The Blues had a strong-looking line-up, but our second-string pinned them back to take a 2-0 half-time lead, Roger Cross scoring the first from 25 yards and the second goal being a great header by Peter Bennett to meet Eddie Bovington's centre. After the interval Roger Cross got his second goal (this time from the penalty-spot), and although the City reduced the margin before the end we were well in control.

PETERBROUGH UNITED : Football Combination Cup

LUTON TOWN : Football Combination Cup

NORTHAMPTON TOWN : Football Combination Cup

Kenilworth Road

3 - 0 (Bovington, Cross, Hartley)

21 August 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Lindsay

Hartley

Cross

Bennett

NORTHAMPTON TOWN : Football Combination Cup

LEICESTER CITY : Football Combination Cup

County Ground

1 - 4 (Lindsay)

3 September 1968

SORRY NO IMAGE

WALSALL : Football Combionation Cup

Death

Heffer

Howe

Bovington

Miller

Glozier

Clements

Lindsay

Hartley

Cross

Llewelyn

QUEENS PARK RANGERS : Football Combination Cup

QUEENS PARK RANGERS : Football Combination Cup

Ellerslie Road

2 - 2 (Dear 2)

24 September 1968

Grotier

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Lindsay

Hartley

Dear

Bennett

CHELSEA : London Challenge Cup (First Round)

Stamford Bridge

1 - 1 (Cross [pen])

2 October 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Morgan

Miller

Clements

Lindsay

Hartley

Cross

Bennett

Loftus Road

1 - 1 (Lindsay)

5 October 1968

SORRY NO IMAGE

PETERBOROUGH UNITED : Football Combination Cup

Portman Road

1 - 1 (Cross)

19 October 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bennett

Cushley

Bennett

Clements

Lindsay

Hartley

Dear

Cross

SORRY NO IMAGE

White Hart Lane

2 - 2 (Glozier, Llewelyn)

18 November 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Lindsay

Hartley

Dear

Llewelyn

CARDIFF CITY : Football Combination Cup (Semi-Final ~1st leg)

LUTON TOWN : Football Combination

Manager : Ernie Gregory

SORRY NO IMAGE

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington (Holland)

Morgan

Miller

Clements

Bennett

Hartley

Lindsay

Llewelyn

Upton Park

3 - 2 (Bennett, Holland, Lindsay)

16 December 1968

SECOND-HALF

The semi-final agajnst Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road ended in a 2-1 victory. Both line-ups contained players with League experience - Rangers had nine to our six -and it was a hard game.

We got away to a good start when Brian Dear netted in the opening minute following a corner, but Rangers drew level five minutes before the interval. The second half was a tough battle, but with twelve minutes to go Dear settled the issue by rounding off the best move of the match after Tim Clements had made a fine run down the wing.

A goal two minutes from time enabled the Hammers to force a replay of the London Challenge Cup final against Spurs at White Hart Lane. We had fought hard after being twice in arrears, and the 2-2 score-line was a fair reflection of the exchanges.

Bob Glozier notched our first tally from a pass by Paul Heffer who had also ventured upfield, but the second Hammers' counter had a touch of fantasy about it; a faulty back-pass gave Dave Llewelyn possession outside the penalty-box, and although he only half-hit his shot the incident caught goalkeeper Stuart Skeet off-balance for the ball to run up his arm and into the net.

The replay takes place at Upton Park on Monday 16th December.

The playing of our London Challenge Cup Final replay was made possible through some urgent work by our ground-staff. It proved very well worth while, as 6,095 saw a game of fluctuating fortunes.

The Hammers got away to a fine start when Peter Bennett headed home in the sixth minute, and put themselves in a strong position as Jim Lindsay burst through to score the second after 37 mins. But Spurs were not to be denied, and they reduced their arrears five minutes later.

Six minutes after the interval the North Londoners equalised. Then we lost the services of Eddie Bovington who damaged his nose in a collision, and while Pat Holland was waiting to come on. down went Paul Heffer to reduce us to ten men. Fortunately his injury was not as serious as first appeared, and he was able to return. We regained momentum, and the winner arrived seven minutes from time as Holland glanced home past an astonished defence. The evening ended with tremendous applause for our gallant youngsters, followed by suitable appreciation of a Spurs' side which had contributed to a splendid local derby.

As usual we have fielded an XI of reserve strength in the London Challenge Cup. Their First Round tie y Chelsea necessitated a third meeting after draws of 1-1 at Stamford Bridge and 3-3 at Upton Park. The second of these was particularly exciting, and it was not until the last seconds of normal time that we levelled the count after Chelsea had seemingly made sure of qualifying through a goal in the previous minute.

So we tossed for choice of venue for the second replay, and, having called successfully, opted for Upton Park.

The West Londoners went two up in three minutes but we equalised before half-time. A goalless second half began to make the tie look like a "Peyton Place serial," but we got a couple more in the extra half-hour. We now meet Barnet in the next round.

There have been changes in the composition of the Football Combination. Coventry City have been elected to the Central League and Brighton & Hove Albion have also resigned, but Luton Town and Queens Park Rangers both re-joined. The 26 clubs are now in one Division, playing each other once in the league tourney (instead of the usual home-and-away). The cup competition is made up of four groups; three are of six clubs playing each other twice, and the other is of eight clubs who also play a total of ten matches in an uneven series. The winners and runners-up of each group qualify for the quarter-finals. Ernie Gregory will be team-manager of the Reserves, Dave Gladstone being the physiotherapist in attendance.

Image Courtesy of Richard Miller

Image Courtesy of Richard Miller

London Road

2 - 0 (Cross, Heffer)

17 August 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Lindsay

Hartley

Cross

Llewelyn

Upton Park

3 - 0 (Cross 3)

24 August 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Bennett

Hartley

Cross

Llewelyn

Filbert Street

2 - 0 (Clements, Cross)

28 August 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Bennett

Hartley

Cross

Llewelyn

Upton Park

4 - 2 (Cross 2, Bennett, Howe)

7 September 1968

Death

Heffer

Howe

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Llewelyn

Bennett

Dear (Clements)

Cross

Hartley

Upton Park

3 - 0 (Clements, Cross, Lindsay)

9 September 1968

Grotier

Glozier

Howe

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Lindsay

Hartley

Cross

Bennett (Llewelyn)

Upton Park

1 - 2 (Dear)

21 September 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Dear

Lindsay

Hartley

Cross

Llewelyn

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Lindsay

Bennett

Dear

Llewelyn

Hartley

Upton Park

3 - 3 (Bennett, Hartley, Heffer)

7 October 1968

Death

Heffer

Howe (Glozier)

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Bennett

Hartley

Cross

Llewelyn

Ninian Park

1 - 1 (Cross)

9 October 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Morgan

Miller

Clements

Bennett

Hartley

Cross

Llewelyn

Upton Park

7 - 1 (Cross 2, Bennett, Bovington, Hartley, Heffer, Llewelyn)

12 October 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Morgan

Miller

Clements

Bennett

Hartley

Cross

Llewelyn

Upton Park

4 - 2 (Llewelyn 2, Glozier, Hartley)

14 October 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bennett

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Lindsay

Hartley

Cross

Llewelyn

Upton Park

2 - 1 (Bennett, [og])

21 October 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Llewelyn

Lindsay

Hartley

Bennett

Cross

Upton Park

1 - 1 (Bennet)

26 October 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bennett

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Lindsay

Dear

Best

Llewelyn

Loftus Road

2 - 1 (Dear 2)

4 November 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Clements

Lindsay

Dear

Bennett

Llewelyn

Upton Park

2 - 1 (Glozier, Llewelyn)

9 November 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Cushley

Miller

Llewelyn

Lindsay

Dear

Holland

Sissons

Dean Court

1 - 1 (Clements)

16 November 1968

Death

Heffer

Charles C.

Bovington

Morgan

Miller

Clements

Glozier

Hartley

Holland

Llewelyn

Upton Park

2 - 1 (Hartley, Llewelyn)

23 November 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Morgan

Bennett

Clements

Lindsay

Hartley

Holland

Llewelyn

Priestfield Stadium

1 - 1 (Holland)

30 November 1968

Death

Heffer (Charles C.)

Glozier

Bovington

Morgan

Miller

Clements

Holland

Hartley

Bennett

Llewelyn

Upton Park

1 - 0 (Llewelyn)

7 December 1968

Grotier

Heffer (Charles C.)

Glozier

Bovington

Morgan

Miller

Holland

Lindsay

Hartley

Bennett

Llewelyn

Upton Park

4 - 0 (Llewelyn 3, Bennett)

9 December 1968

Grotier

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Morgan

Miller

Llewelyn

Lindsay

Brooking

Bennett

Hartley

Kenilworth Road

0 - 0

14 December 1968

Death

Heffer

Glozier

Bovington

Morgan

Miller

Clements

Holland

Hartley

Bennett

Llewelyn

Upton Park

0 - 3

21 December 1968

Death

McDowell

Lampard

Miller

Morgan

Glozier

Clements

Bennett

Dear

Pointer

Llewelyn

The uncertainties of soccer could hardly have been better illustrated when Southampton Reserves visited Upton Park five days after our Challenge Cup success. We fielded seven of the winning side against middle-of-the-table Saints, and on paper looked certain to retain our undefeated record in the Combination league tourney, However, all good things come to an end, and after a run of four wins and seven draws we lost by three clear goals. This trio came in the first 37 minutes and after that the game petered out to a tame ending.